CNU's Green a valuable inside force for 28-2 women's team

Camry Green fills every space she enters, whether it's a room with her luminous personality or a basketball court with her size and athletic gifts.

Christopher Newport's sophomore center doesn't so much talk as she gushes. She is an emerging force on the basketball court that is only beginning to mine her talents.

Green is "a throwback" according to CNU coach Bill Broderick, but one with a creative and imaginative streak that's an extension of her musical abilities and her intellectual and personal curiosity.

"At first, I used to be so tight," Green said. "I was afraid to do this or do that because I didn't want to make mistakes. But my brother kept telling me: Just play; play like you did on the playground; it's basketball; you know how to play.

"Now that I'm a sophomore, I still have those thoughts sometimes, but I realize that I'm going to make mistakes. Everybody makes mistakes. Nobody's perfect. Because I'm young and still learning, I know I'm not expected to be perfect. After I got that thought in my head, it's been easier for me to just go out and play."

Green is a key as CNU (28-2) prepares to face Montclair State (29-0) on Friday at 5 p.m. in an NCAA tournament Division III Sweet 16 sectional matchup at DePauw University.

She was names second-team All-USA South after averaging a double-double (11.1 points per game, 10.1 rebounds per game). She anchors the Captains' top-20 ranked defense and provides an inside scoring threat.

"She knows when she's not on the floor, we're a different team," Broderick said.

That's because Green is a different kind of player in Division III women's basketball — a true, back-to-the-basket, space-eating post player. She's also a different player than the one that arrived at CNU in the fall of 2011 — more polished and confident, but notably slimmer and in better condition.

The 6-foot-1 Green shed 55 pounds after her freshman year and is down to 195 pounds. Many young women are uncomfortable discussing their weight, but she does so gladly.

"I want to let people know they can lose weight if they eat right and work at it," she said.

Green said that she lost the weight as part of a tandem effort with her mother. Sherry Green was a former high school multi-sport athlete who ran track at Morgan State, but gained weight over time. She's lost more than 100 pounds, Camry said.

Green was USA South Rookie of the Year last season, when she averaged 8.3 points and 7.9 rebounds per game. But her weight and conditioning, as well as her experience level, limited her to just 16.6 minutes per game.

This season, she is averaging 24.8 minutes per game. She logged 34 effective minutes in last Saturday's NCAA second-round win against Marymount, when the Captains came from behind in the second half.

"I feel so much better," Green said. "My knees feel better. I can get up and down the floor. I can switch on screens. I can play more minutes. If I can get up and down the floor and score some easy baskets in transition, that helps everybody."

Green said that she aims to get down to 190 pounds, but not much below that.

"I don't want posts to be able to move me out of the paint," she said.

She intends to expand her game. She is capable of putting the ball on the floor for short drives to the basket. She wants to add a short jump shot to her repertoire, so that opposing forwards and centers must play her honestly.

Broderick said that Green's footwork and focus are much sharper, even than earlier this season. She's improved at playing with fouls and in controlling her emotions on the floor. Moving forward, he said that a priority is recruiting at least a couple more post players to challenge her in practice.

"The good thing with her," Broderick said, "is I think she still has a ton of potential. I don't think she's come close to touching her ceiling."

Green is constantly exploring, on and off the court. She plays six musical instruments — flute, piano, drums, alto and tenor sax and clarinet — and plays clarinet in the CNU marching band. She wants to learn trombone and delve into brass instruments.

A political science major, she eventually wants to work for the U.S. Department of Citizenship and Immigration Services, specifically in the area of marriage fraud. An uncle from Ghana and his marriage and immigration issues prompted her interest in those subjects.

All of that's down the road. Green's immediate emphasis is improving herself and her team. Part of that, Broderick said, is for her to become more assertive. She averages fewer than eight shots per game, and at least a couple of those are offensive rebound stickback attempts. She is capable of leading with her play and vocally.

"I'm still young," she said. "I don't have the experience of Tia Perry or Nicole Mitchell, so usually I'll leave it to them to lead and I'll just play. When it's necessary for me to talk, I will. For now, I'm satisfied just playing."

CNU is likely the afterthought in this particular Sweet 16 grouping, or as much an afterthought as a 28-2 team can be.

Host DePauw is unbeaten and ranked No. 1, with a national championship pedigree (2007) and 10 consecutive NCAA appearances. Its opponent, Washington University of St. Louis, has won five national titles and five other Final Four appearances.

The Captains' opponent, Montclair State, also is unbeaten and is all over the national statistics, as well.

"I think we're in a good position," Broderick said. "We're a heavy underdog and people aren't paying much attention to us. I think we can come out really loose and just play our game.

"When our defense is on and we're hitting shots and taking care of the ball, I think we can beat anybody in the country. We'll see how it goes."

Friday's games

Division III NCAA tournament Sweet 16

WHERE: DePauw University, Greencastle, Ind.

•Christopher Newport (28-2) vs. Montclair State (29-0), 5 p.m.

•Washington-St. Louis (22-5) vs. DePauw (30-0), 7 p.m.

Winners play at 7 p.m. Saturday with a trip to the Final Four at stake.